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Fort Vengeance (1953) ~ James Craig, Reginald Denny

10/3/2014

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This is the first of two posts for the O CANADA Blogathon. The next, a Dick Powell Mountie film, can be read HERE

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Ahh,  the 1950's.  I'm starting to think that that decade earns the western movie crown!  The list of great westerns in that decade boggles the mind:  High Noon,  Shane, Broken Arrow,  The Far Country,  The Gunfighter,  The Naked Spur, Hondo, The Last Wagon...and that's just a few famous ones!  Though the late 1930's and early 1940's were the golden age of the mountie film,  there were some good examples of the Canadian Mountie story in the 1950's, too.  There was Saskatchewan in 1954 (starring Alan Ladd),  Pony Soldier in 1952 (with Tyrone Power),  and a good number of the Kirby Grant films were released in that decade.

Enter the splendid 1953 action epic,  Fort Vengeance,  starring the rugged James Craig,  with Keith Larsen,  Reginald Denny,  and the oddly-cast-but-lovely Rita Moreno.  Craig and Larsen play brothers Dick and Carey Ross,  with Craig as the elder (and wiser) of the two. As the picture starts out, they're on the run from a posse,  headed for the Canadian border.  Larsen's character, Carey,  has shot a man in what is ostensibly self-defense,  and it's up to the older to get him out of the jam.  They do out-distance the sheriff and his men, and they manage to make it to the jurisdictional safety of Canada's lush south.  Immediately Carey's impulsive recklessness comes to play, as he shoots one of a pair Indians on the trail...an act which will come back to haunt the brothers.

Stuck north of the border and lacking work,  Dick decides that he's going to join up with the Northwest Mounted Police, and little brother tags along.  Things move quickly from there;  Dick dives fully into his new life,  taking on his responsibilities with vigour,  while Carey chafes at these new restrictions and begins to engage in behaviours that will cause trouble for everyone around him.

Then there is a murder.

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I was very happy with this film,  both as a 50's western,  and as a solid depiction of the Canadian Mountie ideal.  James Craig was fantastic as a Mountie,  dependable and loyal,  brave,  and always there to do the right thing.  In fact,  he reminded me of one of my favourite motion picture Mounties,  played by Robert Preston in the amazing North West Mounted Police from 1940 (reviewed by me HERE).  I'd really like to see more of Craig as an actor in general;  both charming and stern when required,  and very much the type that you could believe could ride alone into an army of hostiles with not a drop of sweat on his brow.  Keith Larsen was very good as the weak-of-character Carey Ross, in that he was impulsive and selfish, but not mustache-twirlingly evil.  Reginald Denny was great as his usual servant-of-the-empire-type in the Mountie commander role,  and Rita Moreno was luscious as the wild, exotic, eye-candy of the film.  I had no idea that she was so lovely.

The director, Lesley Selander, really did a solid job here.  He was a juggernaut of western film direction,  cranking out dozens of wonderful cowboy movies from the mid-30's into the 1960's,  in which he also directed for television,  including Laramie, The Tall Man,  and even Lassie!  Fort Vengeance goes to the top of my list of his films, with a childhood fave of mine, Quincannon, Frontier Scout (available HERE).

This great example of Mounted Police perfection is a Warner Archive release HERE...get it while you can!


Here's my list of Mountie films!  Please feel free to download, and let me know any that I might be missing!
mountie_films_and_serials_v4.pdf
File Size: 73 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


This here post is for the lovely O CANADA blogathon,  hosted by Ruth of Silver Screenings and Kristina of Speakeasy, two of the charming-est writers of film fan-itude and film-bloggery that ever did hear of.  Please click on their names to visit their pages, and the banner at right to see more contributions to their event!
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North West Mounted Police (1940) - Happy Birdthday, Gary Cooper!

5/7/2014

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Hot on the heels of my celebration of Tyrone Power's birthday this week, in which I wrote about Power's amazing turn in the red coat (albeit in the British army in India),  I want to wish Gary Cooper a happy birthday as well!  It's fun to have the opportunity to celebrate two incredible actors, and each in connection to the scarlet.

In the fantastic Northwestern North West Mounted Police,  Gary Cooper plays Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers, on assignment in Canada,  on the trail of the murderer Jacques Corbeau (played by the blunt-faced character actor George Bancroft).  As it turns out,  Corbeau is one of a trio of Métis (also called half-breeds in the film) revolutionaries,  intent on rebelling against the British Empire and starting an independent government.   Historically, though the Métis are the descendants of European settlers and aboriginal Canadians, they have no recognised status (unlike relatively pure-blooded natives);  in fact,  by some definitions, currently half of Canada are Métis, as at least 50% are of mixed blood.  At the time in which the film is set it was apparently a clearer distinction, as evidenced by the real-life North-West Rebellion upon which this film was based. 

Marshall Rivers reports the the fort where the Canadian Mounties are stationed,  just in time for Corbeau to join with the Métis rebel Louis Riel (now a schoolteacher) returning some years after having failed in his first attempt at insurrection (the Red River Uprising, also known as the First Riel Rebellion).  There Rivers meets the super-Mountie Sergeant Jim Brett, played by the very cool Preston Foster The situation becomes quite fun when there are sparks between Dusty and Sergeant Brett's love interest, the regional nurse April Logan (played by the majestic Madeleine Carroll).  The natural alpha male tension is already highly charged,  but here is where the fun really begins!  Between this love triangle and the upcoming insurrection, there is plenty of plot to be worked,  but it never becomes too much.  I was impressed by the level of brutality shown here,  as well as by the general humanity of the characters.

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Directed by Cecil B. DeMille,  this was his first colour feature, as well as Cooper's.  The Technicolor is gorgeous (as it usually was in the movies of the time),  and it seems to have been created to make the Canadian Mountie look his best.  The script was fun and pretty tight,  though there were a few lagging bits,  mostly related to the romantic scenes.  What I enjoyed most was the fun banter between Texas Ranger Rivers and the Mounties.  Some fun Uncle Sam vs "The Queen" comments zinging back and forth.  The actors seemed like they were having quite a bit of fun! 

Although this is technically Cooper's vehicle,  I think the guy that shines best is Preston Foster.  He's so amazingly masculine and driven that his uncompromisingly honourable and courageous Sgt. Brett never strikes a wrong note.  In fact,  it took a guy with Cooper's presence for Foster not to run away with the whole thing! 

PictureComin' in to kick some ass!
As it stands,  they made a good pair,  each trying to out-hero the other.  That camaraderie is very exciting to watch.  It's a good choice for a birthday party!  This is one of the best Mountie-related movies that I've yet seen.  The Mountie mythos is given it's full due,  right down to 'always getting their man'.

Of course,  like the "regular" western,  there are sociopolitical issues inherent to the story that might, for some, make it difficult to watch.  Lots of people of many cultural backgrounds died to create modern America and,  it seems,  Canada,  and those stories are filled with conflict and moral ambiguities.  The British Empire spawned a lot of those stories and issues, as all empires tend to do.  I,  for one,  don't let myself get involved with those issues;  I take the story as it is, and I roll with it. North West Mounted Police is quite an exciting story to roll with!


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As a fun side note,  the fiddling tradition of the Métis is becoming more well known amongst lovers of folk music.  There is a wonderful documentary on the subject, called Medicine Fiddle,  and it can be viewed by clicking on the image to the right.  It's an interesting sound, very similar to other Canadian fiddle styles, but with its own flavour.  Unfortunately the folkies in America have taken it on, so it will be ruined soon...experience it while you can.

Learn about the first Riel Rebellion HERE
Learn about the second Riel Rebellion HERE


Here is my (ever-growing) list of Mountie movies and serials!  They span from 1914 to modern times, and cover every style and format;  silent, talkie, b&w, colour, film, videotape,  & DVD!  Enjoy!
mountie_films_and_serials_v4.pdf
File Size: 73 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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    MOUNTIE FILMS.pdf
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    Here is my (ever-growing) list of Mountie movies and serials!  Enjoy!

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